Shafaq News/Iraq's Supreme National Committee for Water recommended Monday that the Council of Ministers approve procedures to address water and flood problems in the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani chaired the fourth meeting of the committee, where discussions focused on water resources conditions, reviewing the water situation, and assessing the implementation of the agricultural plan in line with approved water quotas for the governorates.

The meeting involved a review of efforts to remove encroachments along the Tigris River in the Baghdad Governorate. Prime Minister al-Sudani directed a financial transfer to the Ministry of Water Resources for the stone cladding of the riverbanks parallel to Sinbad Road in Baghdad.

The committee also endorsed the establishment of an environment and water program within its initiatives. Additionally, it approved the creation of a fund to support research and initiatives to develop internal water resources. Recommendations from the Ministry of Water Resources regarding addressing water scarcity and its impact on the water quality of the Tigris, Euphrates, and Shatt al-Arab rivers were also approved.

Several key topics were discussed, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' request to the Turkish side to increase releases from the Euphrates River at the Turkish-Syrian border and enhance releases into the Tigris River from the Ilisu Dam.

The committee emphasized the obligation of the Baghdad Municipality and water departments in all governorates to collect water fees based on approved pricing. They were also urged to initiate water desalination projects within existing filtration projects to enhance drinking water quality.

Furthermore, the committee recommended the approval of procedures to address water and flood problems in the Kurdistan Region to the Council of Ministers.